‘Kailash Darshan’ pilot project gets huge response

‘Kailash Darshan’ pilot project gets huge response

B.D. Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, Sept 19

The pilot project of ‘Kailash Darshan’ from Old Lipulekh pass in the Vyans valley of Pithoragarh district, will begin from first week of October this year as booking for the project is getting huge response with Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN),  according to Vinit Tomar, Managing Director of  KMVN, the nodal agency of the tourism department for the project.

“The long pending tourism pilot project will start  with 60 tourists, who will be taken to Gunji from Pithoragarh by private company helicopters and will taken on track to old Lipulekh pass  for viewing Kailash peaks from there,” said the officer.

According to the officer, the tourists below 55 years of age, wanting to view ‘Kailash’  will be taken in batches of 15 members each to Old Lipulekh pass  to have darshan of ‘Kailash’ peak.” The programme was originally scheduled to be carried between September 15 to October 30, this year but due to prevailing weather conditions it could probably take place from October first week,” said the official.

“The modalities of cost of the trip is being worked out,” added the nodal agency official.

KMVN base camp incharge for ‘Adi Kailash Yatra’ at Dharchula has said that the queries for Kailash Darshan date have swelled multifold this week.”It seems if the ‘Adi Kailash’ pilgrims are given facility to ‘Kailash Darshan’ from old Lipulekh pass, the tourists flow in Vyans valley could be doubled,” said Dhan Singh Bisht, base camp incharge at Dharchula.

The ‘Kailash Mansarowar yatra’, that was being run by Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India from Lipulekh pass from the year 1981, was suspended after 2019, due to Corona epidemic but later  Chinese government refused to give visa to Indian pilgrims.”The Kailash view programme from old Lipulekh pass is being viewed as an substitute of ‘Kailash Mansarowar yatra’  till it gets permission from Chinese government,” said a  tourist department officials in Pithoragarh

Meanwhile, over 100 ‘Adi Kailash’ pilgrims, gathered in Dharchula from different parts of the country, today left for ‘Adi Kailash’ after the administration issued inner line permits last night following removal of debris on Dharchula- Lipulekh road by Border Roads Organisation (BRO). “The administration had stopped issuing permits after September 10, due to blockade of road at several places,” said Shresth Gunsola, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Dharchula.